Rory keen to forget Masters

RORY MCILROY has said he will play four tournaments before the Masters to keep his mind off the first Major of the season.

The world No.1 will bid for the sixth time to complete his career Grand Slam at Augusta next month.

But before that, the Ulsterman tees up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational today, and then in The Players Championship, the WGC-DELL Technologies, and the Valero Texas Open.

Only five men have won all four Majors with Mcilroy recording five-top 10 finishes in the last six years without winning a Green Jacket.

Tiger Woods said last year he started preparing for the Masters six months before the event.

But Mcilroy said: “It’s different for everyone. For me, I can’t make things too big in my head. So, if I started to gear up for Augusta in January, by the time April came round, my head would be absolutely fried. So, I try to push it out as late as possible.

“I’ve got four tournaments to play between now and then, and my biggest concern and top priority are those four tournaments.

“I don’t think anything trumps execution in this game, so it’s just getting your game in good form.”

Pre-tournament favourite Mcilroy has come out against the proposed new Premier Golf League.

But he still wants smaller fields and fewer events on the PGA and European

Tours. “Being a golf fan can get quite exhausting, following so many different tournaments, different tours, all that stuff,” he added.

“So maybe streamlining it a bit might be a good place to start a conversation.”

RESTING UP Tiger will save himself for the Masters

WARM-UPS Mcilroy wants to keep his game active